Man Rescued By Lifeboat Told to Get a Taxi to Hospital

A Lifeboat was scrambled on Friday evening after a distress call was made into the UK Coastguard operation centre in Fareham. They then had to transport the sick man by private car after rescuing him as no ambulance was available. The RNLI lifeboat from Hayling Island launched and went to aid the 70 year old man just before midnight on Friday evening. When the crew arrived they found the sea dog pensioner in a lot of pain and he needed to go to hospital for emergency treatment. Speaking to the UK Coastguard operations centre who had contacted South East Coast ambulance service, they advised that no ambulances were available to transport the man and to check the man had money as he needed to take a taxi. Despite the fact the man had been assessed by a Paramedic who is a member of the RNLI and who stated that he was suffering from acute urinary retention and that the casualty definitely needed emergency hospital treatment, the concerned lifeboat crew then transported the man to hospital in a private car. The man is now on the road to recovery.